Let’s get Maye Musk to run the country
Elon Musk is likely the richest person who has ever lived. He is said to be on his way to becoming the very first trillionaire. Elon’s mom, Maye Musk, is a 91原创 model and dietitian with two master’s degrees. She was born in Saskatchewan and lives in Toronto.
The woman who birthed and raised the world’s richest dude is obviously no slouch. The Liberal Party would be wise to recruit this 91原创 treasure.
I would certainly vote for Maye Musk should she run for prime minister.
Cheera Crow
Sidney
Ask hard questions about pool replacement
The triathlon and high-performance swim community is mounting a spirited public campaign to woo voters to vote “yes” in the February referendum. They extol the health and community benefits of the project, but fail to own up to their own specific interests.
What they want is for Victoria taxpayers to ante up almost $200 million for a new aquatic centre. They covet their own 50-metre competition pool with all the trimmings.
But such a competition aquatic complex — and make no mistake, this is primarily a competition pool with its 50-metre length, cold water, no shallow end and associated “warm-up pool” — will not serve well the other 90% of the population.
Getting around this problem really means building a second pool with warmer water, lazy rivers, hot tubs and all the bells and whistles to be found in recreationally oriented pools — and used by seniors, families, swim lessons, etc.
Which is why the total project cost will be $200 million and counting.
So the first question is: Does every Victoria household want to pay an extra $240 (businesses $620) every year for the next 20 years to support the triathlon and high-performance swim community? Or at least the 50% of that cost for the 50-metre pool.
Yes, Crystal Pool needs replacing. And yes, it will be an expensive capital investment. But $200 million for an aquatic centre when, as other letter writers have commented, it can be done for half the cost in other 91原创 communities.
A second question concerns the opportunity cost of about 50% of the $200m for the high-performance 50-metre pool. The city (and the region) doesn’t have a bottomless pit of capital dollars.
So what is not going to be built if taxpayers approve the referendum? Clearly the list is almost endless: new or renovated arts facilities, facilities for other sports such as ice sports or soccer, a new central library …. the list goes on.
Hopefully, city voters will say “no” to this project, and demand that our 13 municipalities (and Capital Regional District) get together and develop a regional recreation facility plan.
Bob Yates
retired urban planner
Saanich
Can’t trust council with spending decisions
Re: “Take the long-term approach to the city budget,” commentary, Jan. 4.
The present gang of five and mayor have shown us how they spend our tax dollars: the proposed Blanshard park, Hermann’s, Centennial Square reboot, SOLID, and bike lanes everywhere where seldom is seen a solitary biker.
The final straw is the former mayor telling us how to spend our tax dollars when she, at great expense had plans drawn for a new Crystal Pool, and blithely walked away from the project.
This and the last council dreamt of bigger things from a progressive point of view whilst ignoring the nuts and bolts of civic administration: Our roads are a mess, lack of safety downtown has driven away business, open drug use and burgeoning tent cities.
I cannot agree to let this council spend an extra borrowed $200 million dollars on anything. We must maintain the present pool and await a new competent council that shows prudent leadership with humility that truly cares about our city.
Patrick Skillings
Victoria
Engage with the Y in pool decision
The Crystal Pool and Recreation Centre referendum for its replacement this February has its pros and cons.
The replacement will have a big price tag for a city the size of Victoria struggling with restraint. The estimated cost to taxpayers (drawing on reserves and borrowing about $170 million) will result in a 7.5% tax increase each year for 20 years.
We also know how the cost of such projects can balloon: Remember the Johnson Street Bridge.
Beware, taxpayers and renters alike. There are proponents, though, from within and outside Victoria who make good arguments for its replacement. This includes a group calling itself Let’s Get Crystal Clear.
The YMCA has recently sold its downtown Victoria property, which includes a pool. No official announcement has been made for a YMCA replacement. It would be prudent to encourage the Y to reinvest the proceeds it receives from the sale of that property back into the City of Victoria and not elsewhere.
If the city were to approach the Y with the idea of providing a significant grant (much less than borrowing $170 million) for a new facility, the YMCA might seriously consider using such a grant and its own funds to build and operate a quality aquatic and recreation facility within the City of Victoria.
On the Greater Victoria YMCA website, the CEO stated last month that the Y is “actively connecting with the City of Victoria as results of the Crystal Pool referendum will be revealed in February.”
I am inclined to vote no in hope the city will be forced back to the drawing board and engage in meaningful discussions with the Y.
Paul Brown
Victoria
Centralized services can still be inefficient
Re: “Amalgamating services would be the easier step,” editorial, Jan. 3.
The editorial is of course true — even easier would be to do nothing at all; just leave things as inefficient and wasteful as they are now.
The endless squabble between Esquimalt and Victoria about just what the precise division of costs of the amalgamated police service ought to be, would be repeated for every other amalgamated service mentioned in your editorial.
Your claim is that B.C. has 23 ministries but many centralized services. The reality is that the B.C. civil service is grossly inefficient, with both centralized and decentralized functions such as human resources, IT and, especially, accounting.
Regardless of what improvements amalgamation brings, we should have no fewer firefighters or garbage trucks. The money savings will be in halving the number of councils, and eliminating senior executives and duplication and wheel reinventions. Hopefully, the Citizens’ Assembly will carpe diem and recommend amalgamation once and for all.
William L. Birney
Victoria
Decisive actions needed to save health care
It is hard for us in Canada to imagine a health-care system where a clearly sick three-year-old child is left without care for multiple hours in an emergency room.
These stories and many more that involve a complete lack of access to appropriate care are increasing all the time. At what point do we collectively realize that our health-care system is in a crisis? Our political leaders must identify the solutions and take decisive actions to restore our health care system to what 91原创s expect and deserve.
With an aging population, matters will only get worse as the years go by and I fear that many do not realize the true gravity of the situation.
David Screech
View Royal
Caledonia is too tight with the bike lanes
I am not surprised that we’ve had a collision between a vehicle and a cyclist on that new stretch of bike lanes on Caledonia. I have driven through the section from Quadra to Cook twice and will avoid it in the future. Is there a narrower section of road/bike lane in the city?
The second time I almost struck the bollards heading west to avoid a pickup coming towards me who had very little room for his vehicle.
Even a two-way bike lane on the same side (preferably on the Royal Athletic side to avoid the residence driveways) would have made more sense.
Sarah Frye
Victoria
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